Ms Curtis is the latest high-profile name to leave UTV Ireland, following the departures of presenters Pat Kenny and Chris Donoghue last year.

UTV Media initially predicted the new channel would break even by the end of its first year but issued several profit warnings since and in June forecast the operation would record a loss of £11.5m (€15.6m) for 2015.

It blamed weaker-than-expected daytime and weekend audience figures for the performance.

UTV agreed last year to sell its two television channels, UTV and UTV Ireland, to ITV but the deal has not yet been approved by regulators.

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